Le Palais des Thes Flavored Teas : Tea Review

As much as I love tea, and would be more than happy to drink almost any tea you could put in front of me, I must admit that I am not typically a fan of flavored teas. Most of the time I find them to taste artificial, with the flavor overpowering the natural flavor of the tea leaf. However, many tea-loving Bois de Jasmin readers have recommended various flavored blends from Le Palais des Thés. My curiosity was piqued and, eager to test these teas myself, I ordered the Teas and Flavored Blends Box Set.

Much to my delight, all of the teas are scented delicately enough to accent the flavor of the tea, but strongly enough to be clearly tasted. I like some more than others, but overall, I’m happy with the purchase. The beautifully boxed set includes twelve screw-top metal tubes that each contain enough tea to prepare about six cups. Also included is The Théophile Guide, a small paperback book complete with detailed information about tea history, preparation, and detailed descriptions of all the teas sold by Le Palais des Thés.

I found the samples to be generously sized and conveniently packaged, with brewing time and temperature labeled on each one. All in all, this set would make an excellent gift for a tea lover, and could be equally appreciated by someone new to tea or to a seasoned tea drinker. Below are my impressions of each tea in the set, which includes Thé des Moines, Thé Vert à la Vanille, Thé du Hammam, Fleur de Geisha, Thé des Fakirs, Thé des Alizés, Thé des Amants, Blue of London, Thé des Lords, Thé des Sables, Thé des Concubines, and Thé des Songes.

Thé des Moines (Tea of Monks)

One of my favorites in the set, this blend is said to be inspired by an ancient recipe handed down by Tibetan monks. The tea consists mainly of black tea, and is infused with an intoxicating, complex floral aroma dominated by orange blossom. What I liked about this tea the most was that it includes a floral aroma that is very different from the jasmine-scented teas to which I am accustomed. This tea is great served hot, but is also especially excellent as an iced tea.

Thé Vert à la Vanille (Green Tea with Vanilla)

When I first smelled this tea, I wasn’t very excited by it, and subsequently left it as one of the last I tasted. I now realize that I shouldn’t have, because this tea is utterly delicious. The creamy vanilla flavoring harmonizes beautifully with green tea. The combination is simple, but really holds its own even in comparison to some of the more complex blends in the set.

Thé du Hammam (Tea of the Hammam)

This green tea, blended with flower petals, is flavored with an enchanting blend of rose, green dates, orange blossom, and red currant. As the name suggests, this blend is inspired by the relaxing scents of a Turkish hammam. This was another favorite of mine from the set, and when I first tasted it, I immediately felt like I was being transported to the serenity of a hammam. As such, I can immediately understand why this is one of the most well known and bestselling blends from Le Palais des Thés. For more information on this tea and its matching scented candle, please read Victoria’s review here.

Fleur de Geisha (Geisha Flower)

Fleur du Geisha is another brilliant scented green tea, in this case accented with a floral cherry flavoring. This tea pays tribute to the Japanese tradition of Hanami, the springtime contemplation of cherry blossoms. Like Thé du Hammam, I found this tea transporting and addictive. It is simple and pretty, with the bright flavor detracting nothing from the delicious green tea base.

Thé des Fakirs (Tea of Fakirs)

This tea strikes me as a fresher tasting alternative to more typical spiced chais that are usually black tea based. Instead, this one consists of green tea accented with cardamom. A slight citrusy note gives this blend a fresh and zesty taste.

Thé des Alizés (Tea of the Tradewinds)

This blend consists of green tea with a fruity scent that is reminiscent of peach and kiwi. This blend is the fruitiest of all the teas in the set, which would normally be a deterrent for me, but I found the fruit flavor to be delicately balanced with the tea, not overpowering. I imagine this would probably make a very refreshing iced tea.

Thé des Amants (Tea of Lovers)

This spiced black tea is layered with the flavors of vanilla, apple, citrus, and spices, and strikes me as a perfect tea for wintertime. Though Le Palais des Thés sells a special tea for Christmas, this tea would work for any winter holiday as well. The spice and citrus theme is very common for spiced black teas, so the addition of a prominent apple flavor was a welcome change of pace.

Blue of London

An interesting and multifaceted Earl Grey. This tea showcases an especially fine Calabrian bergamot, set against a lighter base of Yunnan black tea. The result is a classic taste, reinterpreted as fresher and subtler, yet also more complex. If you like Earl Grey but want to try something a little different, this is a good choice.

Thé des Lords (Tea of Lords)

This is a refined Earl Grey, with a strong bergamot note that tastes classic and immediately recognizable. The black tea is attractively mixed with scarlet safflower petals, which heightens the visual appeal of the leaf. This tea is in no ways sub-par, but it doesn’t stand out to me as unique. I much preferred Blue of London. Nonetheless, this tea is a perfect choice if you are looking for a traditional Earl Grey tea.

Thé des Sables (Tea of Sands)

This Moroccan-inspired green tea is scented with rose, citrus, and fruity, peach-like notes. It didn’t stand out to me as much as other flavored blends in this set, but it is somewhat similar to Thé du Hammam in that it plays off a similar fruity rose theme. However, I find that in comparison, this tea lacks the rich smoothness and subtle sweetness that I like so much in Thé du Hammam.

Thé des Concubines (Tea of Concubines)

Thé des Concubines is a blend of black and green tea with a red berry flavoring. Of all the teas in this set, this one was one of my least favorites, along with Thé des Songes, which plays on a similar theme. To my tastes, the blend of black and green teas tastes dissonant, and rather than harmonizing with the complex floral berry flavoring, somewhat detracts from it. This tea is head and shoulders above the majority of mainstream flavored teas I’ve tried, but it didn’t impress me as much as others in the set.

Thé des Songes (Tea of Dreams)

Unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of this tea either, and since it’s similar to Thé des Concubines, I wonder if I simply don’t like the combination of a berry flavor with a dark (non green) tea. Thé des Songes is an oolong tea with a red berry flavor that is less complex than the one featured in Thé des Concubines. The oolong tea tastes much smoother than the black and green tea blend in the former tea though, and if I was given a choice between this tea and Thé des Concubines, I would choose this one.

What are your favorite flavored teas?

Photography by Andy Gerber.

Le Palais des Thés Teas and the Flavored Blends Box Set are available at their boutiques and online, $65 for a sampler of 12 teas.

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44 Comments

Jillie: Thank you for your lovely review, which of course has made me want to try these teas. I am certain that my favourite too would be the Hammam, as those notes appeal to me the most.

I like Dilmah flavoured teas as they seem to have a good natural taste, and I am at this very moment really enjoying their Peach – peach (like apricot) seems to complement tea so well and its happy fragrance reminds me of that thing we used to call the sun!

Peach can be a very nice added flavor in teas, especially for oolongs, which often have naturally occuring fruity facets. I’ve never tried Dilmah teas, but I can remember having a peach tea from Tea Revolution that was pretty good.

behemot: Dilmah teas are resonably priced and quite good. Jillie, have you tried the caramel one? I like it a lot.
Happy Easter, too. March 28, 2013 at 2:48pmReply

Jillie: Hi, Behemot! No, I haven’t tried the caramel yet, but will do so. I am steadily working my way through the whole range. Cherry & Almond arrived yesterday. My favourite Dilmah, though, has to be the Rose & French Vanilla, which reminds me of the old-fashioned lipsalve called Lipsyl which I now realise must have been flavoured with rose and vanilla! March 29, 2013 at 3:45amReply

Annikky: Dear Andy, thank you! I have had my eye on this set for a while and am now convinced that I should get it. My favourite flavoured teas at the moment are Kashmir Tchai (a lovely spicy blend for cooler months) and Prince Vladimir (a good everyday black tea with a twist) by Kusmi. And I’m dying to try their Violette. March 28, 2013 at 8:25amReply

Victoria E.: I would love to try a Violette tea. Thank you so much for posting. I forgot to add that in some of my teas I love adding honey……many times I add Savannah Bee Honey……I love the Tupelo. March 28, 2013 at 11:38amReply

Andy: You’re very welcome! I was just the same—I’d had my eye on this set for a while, and finally decided to go ahead and buy it. And I’m very happy I did! It was a great way to acquaint myself with the Le Palais des Thés brand, as many of the teas in the set are some of their top sellers.

I just started exploring Kusmi teas about a month ago with a tin of Green Troika (green tea with a touch of mandarin and bergamot). I’m eager to try others from the line—thanks for the recommendation! March 28, 2013 at 1:27pmReply

Ines: I always love reading about new teas to try. And the thing I love about this is that that they have a sampler pack. 🙂 March 28, 2013 at 8:50amReply

Andy: It really is great that they offer a way to sample some of their teas. Not to mention that these sets are beautifully packaged. Now I only wish they sold their teas in a quantity smaller than 100g online. I drink a lot of tea, but since I like to have a variety on hand, even that amount can be a little more than I really need. March 28, 2013 at 1:33pmReply

Beth: I love drinking teas because I think our body really benefits from its natural nutrients. Fresh tea tastes really good and I’ve tried many flavored teas before. I loved some of the flavors except for the ones that smells too strong that it already affects my sense of taste. Hope to try this one soon. March 28, 2013 at 9:47amReply

Andy: Ultimately, I drink tea because I like the taste, but the health benefits are a nice added bonus. The immune-boosting, mood-lifting, and antioxidant properties of tea are all a huge plus!

And I agree, I only like flavored teas when the flavor is meant to complement the tea, rather than overwhelm it. Some of the really strongly scented teas I’ve had in the past have actually been headache inducing for me! March 28, 2013 at 2:35pmReply

Elena: These look beautiful. Thank you for the review! The Hammam, Moines, and Geisha sound wonderful. I love your mug with the sleeping deer on it. I recently broke my favorite tea mug, and have yet to find a replacement that speaks to me. Silly, but it just doesn’t seem to taste the same in my regular cups… March 28, 2013 at 9:56amReply

Andy: Glad you enjoyed the review! Those three teas you’ve mentioned are all really excellent—must try, I would say!

That mug is actually part of a set. Each cup has two different animal scenes, one on each side. The one pictured has some rabbits on the opposite side of the cup. The other cups have different bird scenes on them. I like using those cups when there’s company, because they always seem to pique some curiosity! In the same vein, I sympathize with your search for the right cup—I have a few that I rotate between and only like to drink out of those select few! March 28, 2013 at 2:46pmReply

Beth: I had never thought of a sampler pack for Teas. Of course, I’m just now getting into them, since I was told I cannot have coffee anymore. I had never been a tea person in the past, but it is growing on me. My favorite right now is a Harney and Sons Cinnamon tea. It’s got enough Oooomph to make me not miss coffee. I’m hoping I’ll grow to love the subtler blends the same way my nose has grown to love the complex perfumes over time.

In some ways, the journey is the same. I thought I knew perfume by knowing the designer mainstream scents. But my nose was introduced to the wider world, and my likes/dislikes are evolving. Same way, I thought I knew tea from what was on my grocery shelf. March 28, 2013 at 10:01amReply

Victoria E.: I love Harney & Son’s Cinnamon Tea. So perfect on a cold winter day. I am also in love with Harney & Son’s Vanilla Comoro, Decaf Paris and Mother’s Bouquet. I can only drink decaf and I am so happy for many choices. I love this site. Thank you Victoria. Happiness to all. March 28, 2013 at 11:33amReply

Beth: Hmmm, now I’m going to have to try out some of the others you mentioned! thanks 🙂 March 29, 2013 at 11:19amReply

Andy: Harney and Sons has some really nice teas, and that Cinnamon tea sounds quite good. I love your open-minded perspective on trying new teas, and I think you are right, that your tea journey, like your perfume journey, will be similarly full of new and unexpected discoveries. I know that it took me time to appreciate subtler flavors and blends of tea, so I would say that it is best to try new teas that seem appealing to you and just see where that takes you. 🙂 March 28, 2013 at 2:55pmReply

Liz K: I didn’t know they had a sampler. Will have to order one. I drink a lot of flavored teas because my husband dislikes plain green or black tea. My favorite flavored teas are Thé des Moines and Thé des Amants. My local grocery store carried them for about one week then marked them all down to practically free and they are gone. I also have the Thé du Hammam which is nice when I am not feeling up to par. The Les Palais des Teas that I managed to snag while available have become by far my favorites. I also love (and can no longer find locally) Revolution Southern Mint, as mint tisanes are favorite for evening. March 28, 2013 at 11:25amReply

Andy: Thé Des Moines and Thé des Amants are both really great teas, so I can understand why you like them so much. If you’ve never tried it before, I highly recommend making Thé Des Moines as an iced tea—it is really refreshing served cold! March 28, 2013 at 3:05pmReply

Liz K: That is a fabulous idea. I can see how it would be perfect iced and in Texas we have the weather for it already. March 28, 2013 at 3:49pmReply

Andy: Try it, and when you do, let me know what you think! March 28, 2013 at 5:37pmReply

Victoria E.: What a nice surprise since I love hot teas and I make a grand event out of tea for myself daily and when friends come to visit. I hope to find these and I also love the herbals from Harney & Son’s Tea Company. I also enjoy some of Mighty Leaf and I AM ALWAYS in search of more teas…..Your new find is a must for me. Thank you for sharing. March 28, 2013 at 11:27amReply

Andy: You’re welcome! Definitely try some teas from Le Palais des Thés! Judging by what you have written, I am sure that you would love the teas from this brand. I can’t recommend them highly enough! March 28, 2013 at 3:09pmReply

carole macleod: I love this line-and there is an excellent black tea, flavored with rose, that is my favorite. I like all the candles too. March 28, 2013 at 11:33amReply

Andy: A nice cup of rose flavored tea sounds good right about now! Out of curiosity, is the one you’ve mentioned the Rose du Chine? I’d like to try that one if it is. I haven’t tried the candles, but they sound amazing! It would be nice to have the perfume of some of these teas in the air around me so I wouldn’t have to spend so much time with my nose stuck to a little tin! 🙂 March 28, 2013 at 3:13pmReply

carole: Yes, I think that it is! I was not sure I would like something that was rose flavoured. It was divine! I like to swim in our river-it’s the Kennebecasis River, which is so magnificent and deep. Coming home i would make some of this tea, and it was just a really special memory. The feeling of deep tissue relaxation from the swim, and this beautiful fragrant tea. I would pick wild roses on the way home-deeply scented little things. only about 4 petals per bloom. I would scatter the petals in the tea and just enjoy it. March 28, 2013 at 4:09pmReply

Andy: What a special memory, Carole. Thank you so much for sharing it! I can just imagine the wonderful scent and beautiful appearance of a cup of rose scented tea with fragrant petals afloat. And it sounds truly relaxing after a cooling swim. I can just picture how wonderful an afternoon spent that way would be. March 28, 2013 at 5:32pmReply

Austenfan: I was glad to see that the Thé des Moines was a hit. Mine is sitting in it’s tin waiting for warmer weather.
I like some of PdT fragranced teas. Blue of London is very good and I am quite partial to Thé des Lords as well.
Still, for the sweeter flavoured teas I prefer Mariage Frères. They seem somewhat more refined.
I don’t know if you have already but the PdT Jasmine tea called Perles de Jasmin is very, very good. March 28, 2013 at 2:08pmReply

Andy: Thank you for recommending the Thé Des Moines as an iced tea—that was a truly great discovery. In the summer, I’d like to make a pitcher and add a handful of Sambac Jasmine flowers to it, just to add even more floral depth.

I have yet to try Mariage Frères, but I am eager to soon. Many of their offerings sound exceptional.

Also thank you for the recommendation on the Perles de Jasmin. I’ve read good feeback on both that one and the Jasmin Mao Feng. I’m hoping to try both at some point. March 28, 2013 at 3:20pmReply

Rose D: I so want to try Fleur de Geisha! Green tea is usually my No. 1 pick and I love cherry blossoms.
For years, I have been trying to find a perfume that depicts cherry blossoms as truthfully as possible, and I am still searching.
Hopefully, this tea will get it right 🙂 March 28, 2013 at 5:01pmReply

Andy: Fleur du Geisha is so serene and lovely. For me, it does capture the spirit of cherry blossoms. Since cherry blossoms are virtually scentless, I think it must be quite a challenge to try and accurately evoke them in a scented tea, but I think Fleur du Geisha does so successfully. The flavor added to the green tea is a cherry-based fruity-floral that to my nose smells decidedly “pink.” By all means, try this tea and let me know what you think! Even if it doesn’t perfectly capture cherry blossoms for you, it is very tasty! March 28, 2013 at 5:20pmReply

Lynn Morgan: From one tea lover to another: thanks for this! If you ever find yourself in LA, check out “Chado” in Hollywood for their amazing menu of hundreds of variations of tea themes from around the world. I am partial to the rosepetal black tea with a dash of cream. March 28, 2013 at 6:05pmReply

Andy: Thanks for the recommendation, Lynn! if I ever get out to the west coast I’ll have to visit Chado. Just looked it up online, and it seems like a great place, somewhere I could spend hours in! March 28, 2013 at 11:17pmReply

Xiao: Tea has always been a big part of my lifestyle, growing up in a Chinese household and all, but I am also quite wary of flavored teas because I feel that the flavor of the tea gets lost. The Du Hammam does sound intriguing though, as well as The des Alizes – I agree with a comment above that peach is a fruit that seems to pair somewhat better with tea. Thanks for the informative post! 🙂 I will have to look into this sampler set. March 28, 2013 at 6:51pmReply

Andy: I was worried that the flavor of the tea would be masked by the flavoring when I ordered this set, but I was pleasantly surprised. And if you like a peach flavored tea, Thé des Alizés would be a perfect choice! Thé du Hammam is also a great tea, one of my personal favorites in the set. March 29, 2013 at 8:53amReply

Megan Parker: Thank you for the lovely review. I think that it’s a wonderful idea to have a sampler pack for different flavours, especially to new to lovers such as I. While I do like my traditional earl grey with milk, a lovely fruity or floral tea always makes my book-reading such a relaxing experience. March 28, 2013 at 10:20pmReply

Andy: I too appreciate that these teas were available as samples. This set provided the perfect amount for me to become acquainted with these teas, and the packaging in thin metal tubes was ingenious. Reading your comment I realized that this set might be perfect for you—two earl greys and plenty of fruity florals! March 29, 2013 at 9:01amReply

kaori: Thank you for your great reviews. The picture fixed my attention, a beautiful set! I hear many good things about “Le Palais des Thes” but their tea are very, very expensive here. I hope I try some of them someday 🙂 March 28, 2013 at 10:29pmReply

Andy: You’re welcome! You are right, this set is truly gorgeous. It’s a shame though to hear that Le Palais des Thés is so pricy where you live, because their teas are exceptional. If you ever get a chance to try any of them, please let me know! March 29, 2013 at 9:11amReply

mucuna: I love Mariage Freres Violette black tea and Muguet white tea. Lupicia’s Muscat Grape in black or green is uniquely Japanese. TWG’s Passionfruit black is the nicest fruit tea I came across. Metropolitan tea’s Brazilian Guava black is very fruity and Soursop black is aromatic with a sour creamy tone. All are wonderfully iced or hot with or without sugar. Just with those, my everyday is fragrant and flowery and fruity! March 29, 2013 at 12:48amReply

Andy: All your tea choices sound great, and varied as well. The MF Violette and Muguet both sound fantastic! How unique that Muguet white tea must be! March 29, 2013 at 9:06amReply

Poodle: I thank you for this review, my wallet does not. I love tea and these just made it onto my must try list. I don’t need any more tea but there are worse things I could be spending money on. My niece is a tea freak too and this set might make a great birthday gift for her as well. March 29, 2013 at 5:33amReply

Andy: This was a splurge for me too, but a worthwhile one. I had wanted to try most of the teas in this set, and now I know which ones I’m interested in repurchasing full-sized, so I don’t waste any money on those I don’t really like that much. This would probably make a great gift for your tea-loving niece! March 29, 2013 at 9:17amReply

Austenfan in 5 Ways to Transition Into Fall: No, I haven’t. I have mostly read his Maigret novels, but this one sounds very interesting. He had a blead view of humanity and unfortunately he was mostly right. September 26, 2017 at 9:52am